Marron woke to the sound of water lapping beneath the floorboards. The air here smelled different—briny and sweet, touched with something floral.The room was airy, built from pale wood beams and reed mats, its wide balcony opening onto the cove. Below, small boats rocked against their moorings, their sails painted with long green lines like curling vines.
Lucy was already plastered against the balcony rail, peering down with gelatinous fascination. Mokko stood just behind her, his bulk filling half the doorway.
"They move quiet," he rumbled, watching the snakekin unload baskets with minimal chatter."They're not unfriendly," Marron murmured, "just… cautious." She remembered Lyra's advice: observe before speaking.
+
Lunch was in a side hall open to the sea breeze. A charcoal brazier smoked in one corner, scenting the air with coconut husk and lime.
They brought her fish wrapped in fragrant orchard leaves, steamed until tender, then seared briefly over flame. The skin crackled under her fork, the meat yielding with barely a press.
Her first bite was shocking—tender, buttery, with a clean sweetness from the coconut smoke.
"We raise them," the elder cook explained. "We fish enough for today, then let the rest breed. Hunting the sea like the wolves hunt the forest leaves nothing behind."
Marron nodded slowly, realizing this was the heart of their philosophy: sustainable abundance. Not constant vigilance like the wolves, but measured care.
Ding!
[Cooking Knowledge +3]
[New Recipe Unlocked: Coconut-Grilled Fish with Orchard Citrus Glaze]
+
The Snakewater market was quieter than Whisperwind's—more a hum than a buzz. Traders exchanged goods in low voices, weighing salt crystals or holding jars to the light.
Rare ingredients were prized: deep-sea salt, fermented sea grapes, a paste made from roots that grew only on the outer reefs. But Marron also saw recipe scrolls for sale, diagrams of ancient fish-curing racks, and even a brittle parchment showing the process for an old wood-smoked pork.
She stopped in her tracks. The ink was faded, but the handwriting reminded her faintly of the recipe cards the Lord Jackal kept on his shelf.
"That one," the stallkeeper said, catching her glance, "is a delicacy from a time before the war. Our Queen… she remembers the taste."
Marron nodded and made a mental note to set up her stall with apple-themed desserts soon. It would make her stall more noticeable for sure.
It looks like they eat the fruit they harvest for dessert...and they have access to grain, but not wheat.
I can gain more points in knowledge and taste if I show them what else they can make using the fruit...using Whisperwind's flour.
+
After their trip to the marketplace, they returned to the chef's quarters near the forest. She checked her remaining ingredients and found one more sack of Whisperwind flour. "Perfect."
As a gesture of goodwill, Marron decided to make fried apple hand pies.
The apples were grown from the Snakewater groves, and the wheat from Whisperwind. It would be the perfect marriage of fruit with a tender and flaky crust, perfect for anyone who wanted a slightly stodgy dessert to end their day.
She rolled out the sheet of pie crust and cut it into 6-inch ovals, then set it aside.
Now it was time to make her apple pie filling, and then assemble it in the market tomorrow. Marron melted some butter in her largest frying pan and then added all three apple varieties: the fermented, sweet, and baked ones, all chopped into chunks.
When the apples softened, she added sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Then she added some nutmeg. Lastly, she squeezed the juice out of some lemon fingers and let the mixture cook a little bit longer.
Marron let the apple filling cool down and hoped the snakekin would enjoy them.
+
The next morning, she looked for a space in the market that was open to visitors. A friendly-looking oyster vendor pointed her in the right direction--it was along the deck, near the water's edge.
It was time to assemble the fried apple pies.
She got the 6-inch ovals, made the day before, and filled the center with the apple filling. Then she brushed the edge of the ovals with an egg wash and folded the dough over, making a half-moon shape. Gently, she pressed out air and sealed the edges.
Using her food stall's deep fryer, she added each hand pie in pairs. The sweet scent of fried apples wafted over to the other vendors, and a group of curious snakekin who had gathered on the deck.
Marron explained each ingredient openly—where it came from, how it was prepared.
Their eyes flicked between each other. They weren't used to someone offering knowledge so freely. Here, a recipe was a treasure, not a gift.
Ding!
[Temporary Buff: Snakekin Trust +5]
+
That night, the Snake Queen invited Marron to the balcony.
She looked completely different to the authoritative woman they met yesterday. Now, her glossy scales were even brighter in the moonlight. Her dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her eyes were bright and curious.
The moon lit the cove in silver, the water barely rippling. She could even see dolphins diving deep under water, their tail splashing as if waving.
"You have learned the wolves' ways," the Queen said. "Tell me… how do they hunt?"
Marron spoke of patrols, of the way meat was taken when beasts grew too bold, of storing surplus to last the winter.
"Our values are not so different," the Queen said at last. "But our means… are oceans apart."
"Tell me, the Lord Jackal—does he still cook?"
Marron blinked. "I...hadn't known he did before. He cooked?"
The Snake Queen's smile deepened, and Marron saw her ivory-colored fangs. But they weren't meant to intimidate. "He's the best chef in that entire village. A jackal commands wolves because he made them acknowledge his cooking."
Her tail made a small rattling noise. "I still believe he's the best sausage maker in that village. Do tell him that I remember the taste. And that...many have tried to recapture the flavor, but none have succeeded."
A plan was beginning to form in Marron's mind.
So they knew each other! And they're not furious at each other either...maybe there is a way to reintroduce these two.
The Queen ate some grapes and called for an attendant. In her ear, instructions were murmured, before they were relayed.
"You will stay in the Seaglass Lounge. Our finest lodgings, reserved for my personal guests. You are here to teach our eager snakes to cook. It would be impolite to treat you any less."
After the quaint cottage they had slept in the night before, Marron was a little excited about what the best inn they had to offer looked like.
She bowed, her dark curls covering the excited grin on her face. "T-thank you, your Majesty. We're honored."
She lifted her head and looked into the Queen's eyes--bright blue as the shallow ocean.
"You may honor me by teaching my people how to make food as delightful as yours."
+
As Marron followed her to the main hall, an idea began to take root: sausage apple rolls. Something both clans could claim as theirs, something worth sharing.
I need to trade for that wood-smoked pork recipe. It's fairly brittle, so it must be rare...I should look for a recipe that I've not shared with the wolfkin yet, in exchange.
Maybe one that doesn't use apples this time...? But it still has to be something fairly simple.
And then it hit her: she could teach them how to make a lemon poppyseed pound cake.
Mentally, she asked her system: What does Savoria have that's close to poppy seeds?
Ding!
[Snakewater Cove's main flower are poppies, but they discard the extra seeds after replanting.]
Her pink eyes widened in shock, before a smile spread across her face.
They haven't tried to make anything with the seeds yet! This is my chance!
"You look really excited about something," Mokko muttered. "did you think of a new recipe?"
As they left the Queen's beach house, Marron nodded. "A recipe so good we can trade it for the wood-smoked pork! But first...I'll need some poppy seeds."
The bear sounded extremely confused. "Poppy seeds? Why? Normally we just use the flowers as decoration."
Now Marron really felt proud of herself.
"I'll show you a recipe that uses the seeds, is simple, and really delicious."